make giant bow | How To Make a Giant Bow

Make giant bow. A brief context to set expectations.

Make giant bow: Quick notes

// plaid tablecloth //

Remember when I hosted 29 people for Thanksgiving dinner and put them all at one long table that stretched from the dining room to the living room? That one long table was actually five tables put together with these matching plaid tablecloths.

I found the tablecloths on Amazon in this amazing plaid that looks like it stepped out of the Scottish Highlands.

The tablecloths are soft and look so high-end and in my humble tablecloth opinion made the perfect Thanksgiving/holiday table. If you are looking for a tablecloth like this, you can see it here.)

But now?

Thanksgiving is over.

My table is taken apart and disassembled.

And I have stacks of plaid tablecloths left over that I don’t really know what to do with.

I could just pack them up and use them for next year’s Thanksgiving.

Or?

I could get a little creative for Christmas.

And put on my thinking brain (as my grandmother used to say).

And make this.

A GIANT BOW FOR MY MANTEL.

Can you even?

Did you guess?

Were you thinking tree skirt? That would have been a great idea.

Or shower curtain? Another great option.

Or even folding it for extra color over the back of an armchair. Totally brilliant.

But this is the year of the Ralph Lauren Christmas.

And what is more Ralph Lauren than a GIANT BOW made out of tablecloths?

(total aside: you could also make this with a table runner, too (like this one).

// plaid tablecloth to make bow //

I didn’t really take pictures when I was making it (because I wasn’t sure it would turn out). But here are the steps I used:

The bow is made from two tablecloths.
I took one tablecloth and cinched it in the middle with a pipe cleaner (this is the tail of the bow).
I took that tablecloth and attached it to a nail using the ends of the pipe cleaner.
Then I took the tail and use pushpins to attach it around the edges of the mirror.
Next, I took another tablecloth and folded it in half and cinched it about 7″ down from the center of the fold with another pipe cleaner.
I fluffed that center part until it formed a bubble (this is the very center of the wreath.
Then I attached that second tablecloth to the same nail and used pushpins to attach the ends to the wall.
Then I kept fluffing it until it looked right.

One quick note. If you are thinking the bow isn’t the only change? You are right—there’s normally a painting here and this mirror is in the dining room. I just switched the two for the holidays so I could add a bow to this mirror.

And now?

Who is up for a mini tour of the living room?

It’s all about plaid and greenery this year.

I tried to source things where I could for the room, but a lot of it is vintage.

// red ornaments //John Derian tree from Target //

// bows made from plaid wreath sashes // my go-to Christmas lights //

// bows made from plaid wreath sashes //

// plaid tablecloth to make bow //

// blue and white Christmas ornaments //

// red ornaments //John Derian tree from Target //

My favorite thing about this room (other than the tablecloth bow)?

This tree.

The twins told me it looked like it belonged in a magazine.

And they have been raised to be very tree-discerning. 🙂

(total aside: I think I’m going to do an entire post on the tree and how I layered in those wreath sashes with pipe cleaners. All the ornaments came from Walmart.)

One last note:

When we made the velvet ornaments? I got SO MANY emails about these seals I made with a glue gun and stamp and gold glue sticks.

I’m going to add these to the ornaments on my tree. I have them all made–I just didn’t have time before Thanksgiving and the entire plaid bow construction zone.

You just load the glue sticks into the glue gun and glop it onto a hard surface, and then press the monogram into the center.

Couple of quick tips:

once you use gold glue in a glue gun, you are kind of committed, so make sure you have an extra glue gun that you are okay with it turning gold
these make the cutest ornament toppers or present toppers and look so FANCY
make sure to let the monogram press set up in the glue for about 30 seconds before you remove it
let the “seal” dry thoroughly before you peel it off the plate
you can see the gold glue sticks here
you can see the monogram press here